Machine for making flexible nail-strips



(No Model.)

B. B. ALLEN. MAGHINEIFOR MAKING FLEXIBLE NAIL STRIPS.

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rrnn STATES PATENT Eric.

EDNARD B. ALLEN, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES BROOKS, TRUSTEE, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING FLEXIBLE NAIL-STRIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,859, dated March 6, 1888.

Application filed March 10, 1887. Serial No. 230,360. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. ALLEN, of Portland, county of Cumberland, and State of Maine, have invented an Improvement in Machines for Making Nail-Strips, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to produce a flexible strip or carrier for nails adapted for use in heel-loading, nailing, and other machines where separate nails are used, and the strip enabling the usual complicated feeding devices to be dispensed with.

My invention consists of a strip or band of paper or other flexible material having a series or row of slits or perforations near each edge, the said slits extending in the direction of the length of the strip or band, and being placed opposite each other to receive in them the nails, the latter being retained in position transversely with relation to the strip or band.

The machine for making the flexible nailreceiving strip consists, essentially, of two dieblocks the meeting faces of which are provided with suitable cutting devices and bending or slit-opening devices, the former cutting the slits or perforations in the strip of material, while the latter open the said slits to receive the nails. Suitable means are also provided for moving the die-blocks toward or from each other, and also for feeding the strip of material forward.

Figure 1, in top View, shows a machine embodying my invention for making a flexible nail-receiving strip; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the machine shown in Fig. 1, taken on the dotted linemm; Fig. 3, aplan view of the completed nail receiving strip, and Fig. 4 a side view of the die-blocks.

The bed A, of suit-able size and shape to support the working parts, has bolted'to it two guide-frames, a a, in which slide the diebloeks a ed. The bed has also bolted to it by bolts 2 3 two flanged bars, ZI b, which form guideways for a working-bar, b. a

The dieblock a is provided with two cutting-blades, as a, (see Figs. 1 and 2), one above the other, and also with a tubular projection, as c, and the die-block a is providedwith recesses, as c ,(see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) to receive the cutting-blades c c, and with two tubular projections,c'. (See Fig.4.) When the two dieblocks a a are brought together, the tubular projection c enters between the two projections 0.

The two die-blocks are moved toward and from each other by two levers, d d, pivotally connected at one end with the said blocks and crossing each other, the levers being pivoted on a stud, d rising from the bed A through a slot in the bar N. The opposite ends ofthe levers d d are bent downward and provided with roller or other studs, as d which follow in curved or cam slots (2* (1 cut in a working plate or bar, 12 moving upon the bed A be tween the guidebars b b.

It will be seen that by moving the working plate or bar I)" toward or from the die-blocks the levers d d will be moved on the pivot d and the die-blocks will be moved toward and from each other.

The working plate or bar I) may be moved by hand or in any other suitable manner.

The narrow strip or band e,of paper or other suitable flexible material, is fed between the die-blocks, where it is slitted by the cuttingblades 0, when it is fed forward one step,to be again slitted. When being again slitted by the blades 0, the material of the strip between the two slits first made by the cutting-blades will be acted upon by the tubular projection c and be deflected into the space between the projections c. When the strip is thus acted upon bythedie-blocks,anail,tacl:,oreqr1ivalent is dropped or placed in the tubular projection c, which is just above the projection 0 the said projections co-operating together to form bending or pressing devices for the strip, so that the nail entering the tubular projections will also pass through the slots made in the strip of paper held open by the said projections.

The strip containing the nails is engaged by two clamps or jaws, ff, pivoted to a stud, f fitting loosely in a slot,n,(see dotted lines,) cut in the working plate: or bar, the outer ends of the said levers having friction-rolls, which follow in curved slots f f", (shown by dotted lines,) also cut in the working plate or bar, so that as the working-bar is moved toward and from the die-block the clamps, jaws, or levers ff will be moved.

The slotsf j are of such length that when the working plate or bar is moved toward the 5 die-blocks one end ofthe slots will bear against the roller-studs carried by the leversff, and will force the said levers forward a short distance to engage the next nail of the strip, the stud f moving in the slot a, and as the working plate or bar is withdrawn the opposite end of the slotsf f will strike the friction-rolls or ends of the levers ff, and cause the said levers to retreat from the die-blocks, thereby pulling the strip forward a distance equal to If, the space between the blades or tubular projections.

The strip containing the nails may be conveyed fromthe clamping jaws or levers, which in this instance constitute the feeding devices,

by any suitable means-such as rollers, (not shown;) or the strip may be wound upon a drum or cut in short lengths, if desired.

A flexible nail-receiving strip or carrier may thus be made of any suitable length with little expense and with considerable speed.

I claim 1. Thecombination,inamachinefor making flexible nail-receiving strips, of the following instrumentalities, viz: two die-blocks, cuttingblades actuated thereby to slit the strip at intervals, oppositelyextended pressing or bending devices provided with nail-passages and adapted to act upon the opposite sides of the slitted strip and bend it aside between the said slits for the reception of a nail or fastening, and

means for moving the said die-blocks toward and from each other,substantially as described.

2. In a machine for making flexible nail-receiving strips, two die-blocks having cuttingblades to slit the strip,and bending or pressing devices for opening the said slits, combined with operating-levers, and a working plate or bar for moving the levers and die-blocks toward and from each other, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for making flexible nail-receiving strips, the die-blocks having cutting and bending devices for cutting and opening slits in the strip, combined with pivoted operating-levers for moving the die-blocks to- 0 ward and from each other, pivoted clampinglevers for feeding the strip forward, and a working plate or bar for moving both the operating-levers and the clamping-levers, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for making flexible nail-receiving strips, the die-blocks having independent cutting and bending devices for cutting and opening opposite slits in the strip, the bending devices, including co-operating tubu- 6o lar projections on the said die-blocks, combined with strip-feeding devices, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub- 6 scribing witnesses.

EDWARD B. ALLEN. Witnesses:

BERNIOE J. NoYns,

F. L. EMERY. 

